


it's petty crime (stealin my heart)

by Anonymous



Category: Danny Gonzalez, Drew Gooden - Fandom, Youtubers
Genre: Ableist Language, Kinda One-Sided, M/M, as in the words stupid and dumb are used excessively, how to make this private LMAO, sorry for my trespasses, stupid college kids in love, this is a very purehearted fic tho do not worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22597255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: drew has a problem.(hint: it's danny.)
Relationships: Danny Gonzalez/Drew Gooden
Kudos: 66
Collections: Anonymous





	it's petty crime (stealin my heart)

drew couldn't remember ever having felt so stupid in his entire life.

(and that was saying a _lot_ , considering he felt stupid most of the time)

sure, he had done an excessive amount of dumb things for someone barely a quarter into their life- things that had made him want to die temporarily, or fall into such a deep coma that he wouldn't be able to hear all the hospital chatter of how stupid his sleeping face looks. things like:

\- stumbling into a lecture hall ten minutes late, dropping his coffee, and promptly slipping in it and falling on his ass (in the _coffee puddle_. he had to get back up, clean it, and walk over to his seat all while a big brown stain made its home in the most inopportune place possible).

\- going on a rant about how, _no, sheryl, animated shows are not just for children_ and losing track of himself in his passion to the point of being a rude asshole who, _apparently_ , has no respect for others' feelings.

\- dropping a jar of mayo in the middle of a grocery store, lost in that awful purgatory of _should i try and clean this with the spare tissues in my pocket?_ or _should i preempt the fact that my own personal cleaning mission will fail and ask one of the many poor souls working here for their help, and risk being scolded?_ as curious onlookers peered their heads around the aisle corner, watching a stone-faced drew ponder his options for over a minute.

how could anything be worse than that? even _he_ can't quite grasp how he could feel any stupider, any fucking _dumber_ than that.

but alas, he does. by an order of magnitude.

"hey, you good?" a gentle voice spoke, dragging drew out of his epiphany.

"huh- what?" he responded, ever so eloquent.

(but who could blame him when his brain was running a mile a minute and his whole _problem_ was standing _right there next to him_ , oblivious to drew's flood of feelings. god. what kind of unlawful, _unprosecutable_ crime was that?)

"dude, you almost walked into a pole just a second ago. you sure you didn't drink too much?"

"i'm _not_ sure. shouldn't have had that last beer, huh?" drew was 100% sure he hadn't drunk too much. that "last beer" had also been his first- but, y'know, anything to give danny zero reasons to overanalyse things.

"you only had one beer, pal." danny snorted, giving drew a sympathetic pat on the back. his skin seemed to grow hot from just the split second of contact, and he gave himself a mental thwack for that.

"shouldn't've drunk at all, then?" drew offered, stepping off the sidewalk to make room for a group heading right towards them (and, presumably, towards the bar he and danny had just left, also leaving behind the friends they had originally come with). he kicked at the soggy piles of leaves, brown and orange, that lined the sidewalk like a frame.

"nah, you're not _that_ much of a lightweight. you just seem a little spacey right now." a beat of silence fell between them, filled with the white noise of passing cars, late night murmurs, and drew's feverish thoughts burning holes in his left brain like bullets. "good thing you have me to keep you company and from walking right into a busy street, right?"

drew choked on a wooden laugh, because it was too ironic that the company danny was so glad to give was exactly what had drew picturing a world in which he aimlessly stumbled into a busy street- not to die, just to revisit that coma fantasy. danny looked concerned again, the cough having brought a whole nother factor to the equation. drew could see the gears spinning behind his bright eyes, and felt such a thick sense of fondness filling his veins, because danny spent way more time thinking about drew than any normal human should.

"are you-?"

"- i'm not getting sick, don't worry." drew said through a genuine smile. danny squinted at him, as if getting a closer, clearer look would uncover drew's facade. all it did was make danny look funny, his face all scrunched up and frowny. drew chuckled and motioned at their surroundings, offering danny a simple _cold air, that's probably why_.

this seemed to satiate his suspicions for the time being, and they continued their walk back to their dorm in anecdotes and playful quips.

* * *

they were stood outside of drew's dorm room, the autumn night air and sips of alcohol bringing a buzzing heat to their fingertips. sure, this was where drew should say a casual "goodnight" and close the door on thoughts of danny, but the overflow of adrenaline in his system (poorly masked in his mind under the moniker 'confidence') kept him just brave enough to consider inviting danny in.

"well, you made it home in one piece, guess my job here is done." danny said, leaning a shoulder against the chalky hallway wall.

"is it really? there's still a ton of lino flooring for me to slip and fall and die on in there." drew said, so disappointed that- even with this nugget of confidence- he could only beg danny to stay through words that could easily be misinterpreted as a funny little humour crumb (and not a legitimate offer). a backup was always needed in case his efforts to bond with someone were rejected, of course- how else could he face the next day?

not that it didn't feel like hell already, waking up every morning knowing that he has become so incredibly stupid that he could barely even function. well, at least not when danny was around. but drew just tried to compress all his unwanted thoughts and feelings into one massively dense piece of brain that got bigger with every passing day- sucking in more and more of his uncontaminated consciousness and staining it with bright blue eyes and brown curls and-

"do you want me to supervise you?"

drew blinked, once. twice. fuck, three times now, c'mon, think of something, say something, _anything_.

"yuh-yeah. yes." he spluttered, cursing his fragile man mind for losing him any fragment of dignity he had left. how had danny not disowned him as a friend already, with this big dumb middle school crush on him? who wants that?

but danny just laughed, all smiley and still buzzing with warmth. drew could tell 'cus danny's hand was even hotter than his- wait, hand? _hand_? why was danny's hand on his? drew felt the superheated metal of his dorm room key (that had been practically melted in his iron grip) being tugged from his fingers, and still managed to not quite understand the situation.

"oh, yikes-" danny chuckled, snatching the key up and sticking it into the lock, "your hands are, like, really sweaty. you sure you're okay?"

god, could this night get any more embarrassing? drew gingerly wiped his palms off on his pants with a little _i'm fine_ as he followed danny into the narrow hall. the silence begged drew to speak, to move away from a topic about his bodily fluids, but he could only bring himself to watch as danny propped himself against the wall to pull his sneakers off. the hall was flooded in city-lit dark as the door clicked shut behind them, and drew felt those dumb thoughts racing to the front of his mind. he should take his shoes off now, but he was too busy thinking about how _cramped_ this space was, how in one small step he could be mere centimetres away from this boy, his _dream boy_ , and drew would love to tell you that he didn't automatically refer to danny as pumpkin and honey and a billion other silly pet names in his head right at that moment, but it would be the biggest lie he's ever told.

"sorry."

danny looked confused, shoes off now but back still pressed against the wall. he raised an eyebrow, asking drew to elaborate.

"for, uhm, my hands."

the eyebrow pushed further up danny's brow.

"you said they were sweaty."

a beat of silence, and then-

_ah-hah_ , danny laughed. just like that. as if he had just discovered an amazing little fun fact. drew got the idea that he wasn't being laughed _with_ , but _at_.

"don't laugh at me- don't fucking- you insulted my _honour_!" but drew was laughing too now, pulling his shoes off with play aggression. 'cus y'know. comedy.

(but it made danny laugh harder, and what else really matters? a good education? taxes? no, i don't think so.)

after a minute or so of holding back giggles and bursting into laughter on repeat, drew was flushed again and scared of being buzzed and bold in such close quarters, so he gulped down his words and moved further into his room, itching to get some form of unromantic lights on.

(not that any light was inherently romantic, drew's mind just had a way of overthinking things most of the time.)

he flicked the overhead fluorescents on and danny grimaced.

"is there any other setting besides dentist's office on these things?" danny grumbled, dragging his feet over to the side of drew's twin size and going limp as he flopped onto it. the mattress creaked under his weight, but that didn't stop danny from endlessly adjusting himself til he was lying on his stomach with his face smushed into a pillow.

drew turned the lights off, moving to switch on the desk lamp instead. it filled the room with a softer, warmer glow, and the beer in his blood made everything just a bit dreamier.

"that better?"

"mh-hm."

but danny hadn't even opened his eyes. he would be dead to the world if it weren't for his miniscule nods and murmurs, and for the fact that drew couldn't stop looking at him and thinking about him. like he was his goddamn muse. it was so embarrassing, the way drew was taken down by something as simple as seeing danny making himself comfortable on drew's bed, when there were so many other things to swoon over. like people doing actual romantic gestures. not his best friend just, well, lying there.

"are you really going to fall asleep before we do anything fun? are you really going to kick me out of my own bed?" drew said as he sat down at his desk, lounging in the chair.

"let me think... hm, yeah." danny mumbled, muffled by the pillow but just loud enough for drew to make it out. he sighed, obnoxiously, in hopes that it would get danny to stir from his unmoving state, but to no avail. not even the squeak of his laptop being dragged against his wooden desk got a reaction. and yes, technically now that drew had his laptop out to do Important Studies he had no reason to be looking over at danny, he was just... _worried_ (yeah, that was it). what if danny stopped breathing? what if he came down with a nasty case of Sudden Death Syndrome? drew had to keep his eyes on him purely for health and safety.

the deep rise and fall of his chest was stupidly mesmerising, and drew's tongue felt heavy in his mouth. he was alive, that was for sure, and now drew's only excuse was, well- there wasn't really one besides the fact of the matter. but he let himself look at the sliver of danny's face left unobstructed by pillows for a little longer, taking in the little details. a few freckles. eyelashes fanned out against the pillow. curls coming undone from where they had been pushed back.

damn. yikes. drew shook his head like the caricature he was, turning back to his laptop screen and logging in. at the sound of a heavy, sleepy sigh from danny, he shut off the desk light too, and resigned himself to a night spent on the floor.

it was a couple minutes of mindless browsing before he heard a telltale rustling coming from his bed. drew twisted himself around in the chair to see what all the hubbub was about, expecting to see a fully-sleeping danny in a slightly different position. drew's face got embarrassingly hot when his eyes fell on the boy's form, definitely not asleep, lying on his side. his face was glowing blue in the bright laptop light, his eyes bluer even, and his hands nestled between his knees. drew's throat went jagged.

"you look like a creep sitting in the dark like that."

danny's voice was hazy and thick, slurred at the edges, but it still held that playful lilt and drew couldn't fucking _breathe_.

"pardon me for caring about your sleep habits." drew scoffed, turning back around before danny realised how pink his face was.

"was i sleeping? isn't it, like, nine?"

"it's ten, and yeah, you were."

"oh, uhm-" drew looked back just in time to see danny frown, looking frustrated, "sorry about that. I'm awake now, if you wanna do something? we could watch something dumb."

drew was about to take him up on his offer, when danny yawned and tried to blink away the sleep, his shoulders pulling up to his neck in an attempt to get warm in the cool of drew's room.

"no, you should get some sleep."

"i'm not gonna steal your bed, dude." danny said, moving to sit up before drew interrupted him.

"it's- it's not really stealing if i let you have it."

and drew's face got even hotter as he watched danny wring his hands, still in the niche of his legs. why did the air feel so thick? it most definitely wasn't humid. drew refused to believe it had anything to do with the pathetically one-sided _hey, do you come here often?_ vibes emanating off his own body in thick waves every time he felt the need to put his lips on danny-

wait.

nah. no. ignoring that thought. he was stupid, but he wasn't _that_ stupid. he wasn't into danny _that_ much, not in a kissing way. hah. right? he couldn't be, that would suck _ass_. for both of them. just because danny made him laugh and feel happy and comfortable and was so so _so_ gorgeous, didn't mean he wanted to kiss him. in theory.

"i don't want you to sleep on the floor. it's so cold, do you even have extra blankets?" danny asked.

"yeah, of course." _no, he doesn't_.

danny considered it for a moment, biting the insides of his cheeks. like he was nervous. drew couldn't help but wonder- _maybe_ \- until his mind wandered too far and he had to rear it in.

"you sure? can i get, like... a shower too?"

"of course, you can borrow some pyjamas too, if you need some." drew said, voice not wavering even once 'cus that's how pros do it.

"for real? you're such a lifesaver," danny exhaled, seemingly relieved, "can't believe i haven't used you for your en suite privileges before"

drew wanted to sigh, but he was too busy trying to hold on to his marbles. it was like some scene out of a teen high school film, practically _staged_ just to drive drew crazy, and he didn't appreciate it one bit.

* * *

rapidly cooling humid air billowed out of the bathroom, danny climbing into drew's bed and making himself comfortable under the one duvet drew owned. he was decked out in drew's pyjamas, too, and somehow he made them look good. but drew had to stop being so damn _fond_ , his heart was fit to burst with it.

"goodnight, and thanks again." danny yawned, squirming a bit as he tried to find a comfortable spot on such an unfamiliar bed. it was all drew could do not to stare.

"don't worry about it."

but drew _was_ worried about it. danny fell asleep within minutes, and left drew to ponder his feelings all by his lonesome- questions of _why do i feel this way_ and _how dare i feel this way_ and _would he hate me if he knew_?

drew's makeshift bed (a knit blanket he found on a couch in the communal living area and a throw pillow from there too) proved to be the _perfect_ way to stay up late and not get _any_ sleep, as long as you didn't mind being flooded with self-deprecating questions the whole night. but drew couldn't be the only one going through this, how many people loved danny like he did? how many stayed up late just pondering their own feelings?

how many got to lend him their bed and spend all night a few feet away from him, too close to sleep comfortably?

probably not many.

and this was drew's problem: he had so many stupid things to worry about, but danny dissipated all of those worries and took their place. assignments due? hang out with danny and think about how sweet he is. girls on the mind? danny smiles once and suddenly drew is a goner, no one else can compare. no food in his room? danny comes over and drew is motivated to learn how to cook.

all these stupid problems, and yet his biggest one is something so goddamn simple, sleeping just a few feet away from him. drew was stupid for putting all his eggs in one basket but danny did it to him, drew swore he had no part in it. he was just mesmerised, mystified, melting every time danny got a little too close. 

and drew would shoulder the feeling for a while longer until it didn't feel so heavy.

he hoped maybe then he'd get a bit smarter.

(but thoroughly doubted it)

**Author's Note:**

> soz yall, wanted to show this to a friend w good formatting but idk how to make it private.


End file.
